Chaske Spencer in an interview with Indian Country Today explains that the problem comes down to a basic need of water.

“The current water system is outdated and operating at capacity, leaving the tribe no room for economic expansion and preventing its housing authority from building new homes. To build a new water infrastructure is estimated to cost over $500 million dollars. This was promised to the Sioux people over 50 years ago and this allocation would put a long-term solution in place and give the Lakota Sioux people an opportunity to prosper. Without water, the most basicbuilding block of life and society, the people of the Lakota Sioux Reservation have little hope of impacting their situation in a way where they may prosper and thrive.

Since the late 1950’s the tribe has been forced to move from their original Tribal Head Quarters, known as the Old Agency on Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, which was located on the river bottom. The Tribal leaders during this time, built schools, hospitals and their own police department with tribal dollars. All is under water now. The book “Dammed Indians” shows how the Pick-Sloan Act forced tribal people up and down the Missouri River. This was done to make way for the Dam to make Hydro Power for the government. The precious resource of water is utilized to generate billions of dollars worth of electricity yearly, for the United States Government.

Currently, without a water infrastructure, they cannot build new homes and cannot build on any new development. The system is keeping an impoverished nation, impoverished.”

Click here to find out how you as a US Citizen and Non-US Citizen can help. They don’t want your money. They want you to make a phone call or send an email. I sent the email and it took about 30 seconds. Please help them if you are so inclined because it’s very simple to do.

This story truly saddens me because it seems like it never changes throughout history until the present time. Lexicon thank you for sharing this story with us. I will do what I can to support this cause.

I was going to do just the e-mail but I decided to wait until tomorrow to send the letter by mail. I’m going to share this with people on my facebook- I agree with Only1Apathy, how can people be more interested in spending money on killing each other? very… very sad and pathetic.